Get Ready For Zalen
Go cosmic with Zalen Darq by Chuck Dixon & Joe Bennett
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Jen & Sylvia Soska
Welcome to the Rippaverse where we want YOU as a fan! Whether you are a new fan or a returning friend, we thank you for being here. The Rippaverse has a little bit of something for everyone, no matter what genre or sub-genre of comic books you enjoy the most. Do you like the every-man hero who does not take kindly to disrespect and has strong, unwavering faith? Awesome, you are going to love Isom, if you aren’t loving it already. Do you love a badass war hero who lives to protect and serve, but thinks for himself? Bryan Solari is your man and The Alphacore is the book for you! What about an ice queen who doesn’t take crap from anyone and plays by her own rules? You have got to get into Yaira. She is your dream girl. And that is just a few of the fine offerings from the Rippaverse. We also have a street level vigilante who returned from war but is far from done with taking out the trash (the Horseman), a self-made tech wiz who strives to make life better and safer for the common man (Goodyng), a blood witch from a famed family of Hellian hunters stricken with a sacred duty (Bloodruth), and if you love a little of the ultra-violence and adore a good ol’ fashioned war story we have got the right series for you (The Great War of Separation)!
We all have our favorites. We grew up with some and a lot of those that we idolized became a big part of who we are. I feel it is easier to fall in love with a new character when you are younger and more hopeful and open, but when you find a character or comic book as an adult that really speaks to you and makes you stop and go, “holy crap,” you know you have stumbled upon something special. I have my go-to favorites who are very real to me and feel more like friends than fictional characters. And like many adults, I am not looking for new friends. I have my comforts, and I have had plenty of let downs and disappointments. So, when I read the Zalen script, written by one of the most prolific writers to ever grace the comic book industry, Chuck Dixon, I was in awe. Who was this incredible new hero? Then came the out of this world art from the masterful Joe Bennett and it was game over for me. Zalen Darq is a very special hero. I, like many others, had a full roster of favorite superheroes and was not looking for anyone new. I never thought a new hero could give me that same feeling as when I was a kid and cracking open a comic book for the first time. How was this possible? And what is so amazing about Zalen? Gosh, I am so happy you asked.
Zalen is driven by the need to deliver justice and is gifted with awesome powers that allow him to unleash it with finality and ease. He stands up against world destroyers, space pirates, and apocalyptic events in situations that would otherwise be hopeless. Zalen is a member of the Sentinel Initiative that watches over the cosmos and even so makes his own calls on what the best way to deal with those that would break the laws of the universe and take advantage of the weak. Zalen lives by a very clear mantra, what kills must die. He carries out this belief with the most incredible ruthlessness and mercy. He is ruthless to miscreants, but the defender of the innocent. Zalen may, in fact, be the most powerful character in the Rippaverse, yet he never lords his powers over others. He merely delivers justice swiftly and with just cause. I love the way he speaks, and the turn of phrase Chuck gave him makes him so unique that you can literally hear him as he delivers some of my favorite dialogue ever. Joe has masterfully designed Zalen to look like a space God, like this golden, Heaven-sent avenger of misdeeds. He moves with such grace and beauty and when he collides with his target, it is explosively dynamic. I have read Zalen many, many times now and I just keep finding new things to love. More than anything, I love what a good man Zalen is. He has plenty of weight of his shoulders and many internal struggles, but he uses the trauma and pain he carries to focus in on doing the right thing and protecting other worlds and civilizations. He is everything I love in a hero, and I know you, dear reader, are going to love him, too. Get ready for Zalen, the first space fairing superhero of the Rippaverse and one that is sure to blow you away, much like he did with me. Chuck Dixon and Joe Bennett may be the most powerful team up in the universe because when they get together all they come up with is pure gold. I cannot wait for you to pick up Zalen and be sure to let us know what you think. He is out of this world.
